Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Dean Kukan from IR
Dean Kukan was activated from IR and is set to return to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets healthy scratch list is going to get a bit more crowded with the return of Dean Kukan. The CBJ have activated the defenseman after missing just shy of a month with an upper body injury.
The 24-year-old Swiss defenseman had a great season going until February 18th. Until that night he had an AHL All-Star season in Cleveland and had earned 10 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kukan made an impact too playing solid defense and scoring four points in ten games.
Unfortunately he sustained an upper body injury on the 18th against the Pittsburgh Penguins and was forced to miss a month.
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At the time the CBJ were beyond thin on the blue line. Markus Nutivaara was hurt, Ryan Murray was, of course, hurt and Jack Johnson and David Savard were not playing well.
Now the Jackets have a legit number two pair with a trade deadline acquisition in Ian Cole who seemingly turned Savard’s game around.
The Jackets also picked up Taylor Chorney who is NHL capable but just hasn’t found any ice time himself. And now Markus Nutivaara is healthy and in the lineup. Ice is getting hard to find on the blue line.
Kukan just signed an extension with the team as well. He had been getting plenty of attention from teams in Europe, escpecially those in his home country of Switzerland.
Kukan will join Chorney, Murray, and Harrington as healthy scratches tonight.